IOA-JSW unveil plans for first-ever Indian House
India will have its first-ever Olympic Hospitality House in Tokyo during the Summer Games next year. The Indian Olympic Association and JSW Group on Thursday announced a partnership to build the facility.
Many of the Olympic participating countries have their own hospitality houses during the Games but this will be the first time India will be having one to showcase its culture and heritage.
The official India House logo, unveiled by the Sports Minister on Thursday, is inspired by Indian national elements like the lotus, peacock and the heritage arch. It will provide a window for the world to look at India and its heritage during the Games and combines the historical side of India with a modern outlook.
“The India House at the 2020 Olympics is an amazing concept. We need a team to produce a sports champion. We have to create the right ambience for our athletes at the Olympics. The India House will represent the idea of India at the Tokyo Games,” said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State Youth Affairs and Sports.
Scheduled to be operational from July 2020, the India Olympic Hospitality House will be set up over an area of 2,200 sq.m in close proximity to the Games Village and multiple Games venues in the Ariake region of Tokyo. It will offer a range of activities and experiences for traveling fans and supporters who will be in Tokyo for the quadrennial sporting extravaganza. A staple among developed sporting nations, this will be the first-ever such venue for India at the Olympic Games.
The IOA president Narinder Dhruv Batra expressed that the India House will be a home away from home for Indian athletes and fans at the Tokyo Olympics.